JuuriJuhla Archipelago Dance Evening: Aspö Spelmän, Maria Kalaniemi & Pekka Pentikäinen

At JuuriJuhla’s bilingual club evenings, music transports you into the atmosphere of our sunlit archipelago. Performing are Aspö Spelmän and Maria Kalaniemi & Pekka Pentikäinen. The evening begins with a concert and ends with dancing. Refreshments will also be available at Thorstorp.

Aspö is a small musical island in the Archipelago Sea. Around a dozen people live on the island year-round, but in summer it fills with boaters and summer-house visitors. Music is part of the everyday atmosphere for summer guests on Aspö. Aspö’s Midsummer celebration and Music Day are legendary events filled with music. Music has long been part of life on the island, woven into everyday life, and the tradition is still passed from one generation to the next. The island is the home of, among others, the violinist and master folk musician known as Aspö-Erik. In 2022, another Aspö resident, Tore Johansson, was awarded the title of master folk musician.

The core of Aspö Spelmän is the Johansson family: Tore, Markus and Johan. Other family members also join them from time to time. Their concert features traditional and newer archipelago tunes played in the archipelago’s own style. Aspö Spelmän made a record in 2026.

Musicians: Master folk musician Tore Johansson, accordion; Markus Johansson, accordion; Johan Johansson, accordion; Aada Ala-Tala, violin; Linda Johansson, violin; Leo Johansson, accordion.

Maria Kalaniemi & Pekka Pentikäinen

Espoo-based folk musician and accordion artist Pekka Pentikäinen has sailed all over the archipelago, and the beautiful island of Aspö, in the heart of the Archipelago National Park, has become his favourite place. Maria Kalaniemi, artistic director of JuuriJuhla-RotFest and also an Espoo-based accordion artist, has likewise fallen in love with our beautiful archipelago. Their favourite places are Aspö and Utö, where they spend extended periods in both summer and winter, discovering new musical inspiration along the way. Pekka and Maria have gathered numerous archipelago melodies from these islands, and they will be heard at this concert.

A warm welcome to a vibrant archipelago concert! A warm welcome to an evening filled with the sounds of the archipelago! 💙⛵️🎶